The NFL playoffs reached the conference championship round on Sunday, and no one will be watching more closely than the two teams left searching for a head coach — the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders.
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ESPN Chief NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning Both Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike McDonald play for the Seahawks and Commanders.
The Seahawks are in a bit of a tough spot when it comes to McDonald. Schefter said that Sunday Seattle wants to meet McDonald When the Ravens' season ends, however, the Seahawks have yet to have their first interview with the prestigious D.C., and because of NFL rules they're not allowed to talk to him until his team is eliminated or passes the Super Bowl. The good news for Seattle is that the Ravens lost 17-10 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, which means the Hawks can now talk to McDonald (and their defense still played well despite the loss).
The timing of the Hawks' firing of former head coach Pete Carroll from his position on Jan. 10 likely played a role in Seattle's inability to talk to McDonald before the deadline for the first interviews with assistant coaches for teams in the playoffs.
Among current NFL assistant coaches, McDonald is the only reported candidate for the Seahawks' vacant head coach job that they were unable to interview before this weekend.
According to Schefter, the question with McDonald was whether “Seattle would be willing to wait to meet him for the first time if Baltimore advances to the Super Bowl.” Now you don't have to worry about that.
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As for Johnson, the Seahawks reportedly were able to land a first interview with him before the deadline and could do a second interview with him this week regardless of whether the Lions win or lose the NFC Championship on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
Schefter wrote that league sources told ESPN that the Chiefs are looking to conduct second interviews with four coaches involved in Sunday's games: McDonald, Johnson, Ravens assistant head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
The NFL assistant coaches the Seahawks spoke to include Johnson, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowick, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Efeiro, Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, and Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith. . .
It is possible that the Seahawks have talked to other candidates who are not currently employed by other NFL teams, but those interviews are not required to be arranged through the league and thus are not easy to report.
Six NFL teams have already named new coaches this month, but only one of the appointees was reported to be a candidate for the Seahawks: Raheem Morris, who was the Rams' defensive coordinator and is the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
More on the Seattle Seahawks head coach search
• Seahawks coaching candidates: What Vrabel brings, and why he's not with the Giants
• How other coaching hires affected the Seahawks
• Why is it taking so long to find a Seattle Seahawks coach?
• Stacey Rust's most and least interesting Seahawks coach names
• NFL insider Pelissero breaks down 'really open' Seattle Seahawks coach search.
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